During the end of Melbourne's lockdown, we were all pretty much scrambling to escape being trapped inside four walls. We'd do anything to be outdoors and seeing friends. Not Darby James though. He decided to spend more time with himself and donate his sperm. His cabaret show Spunk Daddy follows this journey that leaves James interrogating his choice for donating as well as the moral and ethical reasons in doing so, and bringing life into this planet.
James has written quite an engrossing story that make you laugh, makes you think and makes you feel. His rhythmic storytelling is the perfect palette cleanser from other solo shows that are delivered as a standard monologue directly addressed to the audience. Not only does this make Spunk Daddy stand out above the rest but it showcases James' skill as a performer and his imaginative and emotional style of expression. Vulnerable.
Spunk Daddy could easily have gone down the path of crude gags but instead James gets clever with his use of puns and word play about his experience, right down to his costume and set design by Betty Auhl: a stranded sea man on an island. These jokes permit us to put our defences down and for James to really hit us in the gut when he opens up about his desire to be a good father but also his guilt and uncertainty about forcing a life into this world when everything around us is slowly falling apart. Vulnerable.
Lighting queues are sparingly used that convey time, scene and mood jumps and to build on the anxiety that Darby expresses about bringing new life into the world. The music and score assist Darby's descriptive language while vividly presenting this world and this decision that he finds himself having to make. Vulnerable.
Spunk Daddy is a highly entertaining comedy cabaret about a subject that doesn't often get discussed, especially on stage. Darby has a disarming charm to him that allows him to get intimate with his audience and not be over-the-top or too confronting. We are able to feel everything he is going through, through a witty script and an exceptional performance.
Click here to read out interview with Darby James.
Show Details
Venue: The Butterfly Club, 5 Carson Place, Melbourne
Season: until 22 October | 8:30pm
Duration: 60 minutes
Tickets: $37 Full | $33 Concession
Bookings: The Butterfly Club or Melbourne Fringe Festival
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